1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to voltage generation and, more particularly, to voltage generation for memory systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Memory cards are commonly used to store digital data for use with various products (e.g., electronics products). Examples of memory cards are flash cards that use Flash type or EEPROM type memory cells to store the data. Flash cards have a relatively small form factor and have been used to store digital data for products such as cameras, hand-held computers, set-top boxes, hand-held or other small audio players/recorders (e.g., MP3 devices), and medical monitors. A major supplier of flash cards is SanDisk Corporation of Sunnyvale, Calif.
A conventional memory card (e.g., flash card) includes a memory controller and memory chips. The memory controller operates to supply an address/data bus to each of the memory chips. Since the memory chips require various voltage levels for operation, the memory controller or the memory chips can include a charge pump and regulation circuit. The charge pump and regulation circuit produces several different voltage levels that are used by the memory chips.
The memory cells of memory cards have in recent years been designed to store more than one level. Consequently, each memory cells is able to store a signal that represents one of a plurality of digital values. For example, a single memory cell might store one of four voltage levels. The ability for individual memory cells to store multiple levels allows the storage density of memory cards to be greatly improved. However, the increased density comes at a cost. One such cost is that the subsequent detection of the different voltage levels must now be performed with greater precision because the tolerance is proportionately decreased as storage density increases.
One resulting problem is that memory cells are inherently temperature dependent. In other words, the precise amount of voltage being stored to or read from memory cells will vary with temperature. With tightened tolerances associated with higher storage densities, this temperature dependency can lead to errors when reading out previously stored data. Accordingly, there is a need to manage the temperature dependency of memory cells within memory systems so that such errors do not occur.
Broadly speaking, the invention relates to techniques for producing and utilizing temperature compensated voltages to accurately read signals (e.g., voltages) representing data stored in memory cells of a memory system. The memory system is, for example, a memory card. The magnitude of the temperature compensation can be varied or controlled in accordance with a temperature coefficient.
The invention can be implemented in numerous ways including, as a system, device, or method. Several embodiments of the invention are discussed below.
As a memory apparatus, one embodiment of the invention includes at least a plurality of memory cells and a voltage generation circuit. Each of the memory cells have multi-state data storage transistor devices that have a temperature dependency. The voltage generation circuit is operatively connected with the memory cells and produces a plurality of different voltage levels. Each of the different voltage levels produced by the voltage generation circuit has a temperature dependency that substantially offsets the temperature dependency of the multi-state data storage transistor devices.
As a voltage generation circuit for generating gate control voltages to be supplied to control gates of multi-state data storage transistor devices, one embodiment of the invention includes at least: a first current generator for producing a first current that is substantially independent of temperature; a second current generator for producing a second current that is dependent on temperature; and a resistor ladder having a plurality of resistors connected in series, with nodes between adjacent pairs of the resistors. The first current is supplied to a first end of the resistor ladder, and the second current is supplied to one of the nodes of the resistor ladder.
As a memory apparatus, one embodiment of the invention includes at least a plurality of memory cells and means for generating a plurality of different voltage levels. Each of the memory cells have multi-state data storage transistor devices that have a temperature dependency. Each of the different voltage levels being generated has a temperature dependency that counteracts the temperature dependency of the multi-state data storage transistor devices.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.